On February 5, Steelhead LNG presented to the Comox Valley Regional District on their pipeline proposal that would see 1000 km of pipe constructed to carry gas from northern BC to Powell River, under the Salish Sea, and through either the Comox Valley or a more southerly point to an LNG export facility on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. On February 27, the public is invited to a forum discussion on why this is about more than just a pipeline.

The Tsolum River Restoration Society’s Annual General Meeting will take place on Saturday, March 9, 2019, at the Dove Creek Hall, located at 3400 Burns Road, Courtenay from 1 – 3:30 PM. Special guest speaker will be Ted Sweeten from the Pacific Biological Station, who will be speaking on “Thermal Limits in Salmon and how does the Tsolum River rate?”

Fundraising for the Kus-kus-sum campaign is going strong as we head into our final year of collecting community-based donations and sponsorships. Last year we met, and slightly exceeded, both of our community targets and have raised $328,000 towards our community goal of $500,000.

Comox Valley Nature will be holding its Annual General Meeting February 17, 2019 at 7pm in the Rotary Room of the Filberg Seniors Centre 411 Anderton Ave, Courtenay. The event will include Open House presentations of salient work and projects that
CVN does around the valley.

Local fisheries biologists are in the second year of a study investigating the Kokanee Salmon population in Comox Lake. Kokanee Salmon form an important part of the Comox Lake ecosystem, providing food for Cutthroat Trout and Dolly Varden.

A new film called “The Cost of Wood Heating” was released yesterday by Breathe Clean Air Comox Valley. The nine-minute film features Dr. Charmaine Enns, the Medical Health Officer for North Vancouver Island and a number of local residents who are affected by wood smoke.

A newly launched public consultation process on Canada’s newest National Park Reserve, in the South Okanagan-Similkameen region of BC, is providing Canadians a long-awaited opportunity to help secure the future for Canada’s most at-risk grassland ecosystem and the wildlife that live there. The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society’s BC Chapter (CPAWS-BC) welcomes this announcement made by the federal, provincial, and Okanagan Nation governments.

On December 5th, the Province of BC unveiled its most robust plan ever to tackle climate change, incorporated into a Clean BC Plan. The strategy includes fully funded commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across multiple sectors and, notably, it includes legislation for climate accountability. The plan supports and makes mandatory for the provincial government to achieve 75 percent of the pre-Paris Accord 2030 reduction targets, and commits to closing the 25 percent shortfall within an 18-24 month window.

Following the federal government’s designation of a 5,025-square kilometer Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whale critical habitat (CH) zone off the southwest coast of Vancouver Island, 17 Island Chambers of Commerce have united to protect the marine-based tourism on which they depend and urge the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to carefully weigh potential management measures that could harm their coastal communities, destroy thousands of business and jobs, and impact tourism revenue across Vancouver Island.